國之重寶　The Pride of China

放大圖片

　梅石溪鳧圖頁　Winter-sweets Hanging over Rocks, Wild-ducks Swimming in Stream

水墨設色絹本冊頁 (Album leaf, ink and colour on silk)

南宋 馬遠 (Ma Yuan, Southern Song dynasty)

　馬遠是南宋畫院待詔，出身藝術世家。此圖是馬遠融合山水及花鳥主題的小品。圖中繪峭壁上梅樹倒懸而生，枝幹虯曲伸展至水面，梅花綻放，顯出初春時令。樹下野鴨成群，在薄霧朦朧的溪間游嬉，有整理羽毛、拍翼振翅，其中有母鴨背著小鴨，尤見溫情；生動傳神地帶出「春江水暖鴨先知」的詩境。馬遠善用對角線構圖，把山石梅枝偏處一角，下方的野鴨流水為畫面帶來平衡和諧。這種將主體景物偏離畫心的邊角式構圖，後人稱為「馬一角」。

　The overhanging plum tree in full bloom sets the painting in early spring. The ducks at play in the misty stream are particularly endearing with their varied engagements. The solidity of the cliff represented by large axe-cut texture strokes and the elongated treatment of the plum branches, both characteristic of Ma Yuan. As can be seen in the clustering of the cliff and the plum branches in just one corner of the painting surface, Ma had a special preference for diagonal compositions which earned him the nickname of Ma the Corners. 　資料：香港藝術館